Mum-to-be left shaking with fear after ex threatens to 'massacre her family'

John Barrow was today,January 12, found guilty of harassment at Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Handout)

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A pregnant woman was left shaking with fear after her ex partner threatened to ‘massacre her family’ during a campaign of harrassment.

John Barrow, 35, had bombarded the mum-of-three with text messages and phone calls after she ended their five and a half year “on-off” relationship in December last year.

In one terrifying voicemail message he said: “Pregnant or not I’m going to punch your face in, whether I have to drag you out of the house or at (the childrens’ school), I’m at the point where I will massacre the family and kill myself.”

Barrow, of Brushford Close in West Derby, was given a 12 week prison term, suspended for 18 months, at Liverpool Crown Court today after admitting harassment.

Lynn Clark, prosecuting, told the court the victim, who had a child from a previous relationship, another child with Barrow and was heavily pregnant with his baby, had blocked Barrow’s phone number and had blocked him on social media sites after ending their relationship.

But Barrow left around 40 messages asking her to answer the phone, prompting her to seek a non-molestation order from the family courts.

Ms Clark said: “While at court more voicemails were received which became threatening, saying ‘answer the phone or I’m coming to your house you dirty little s***’, and ‘I’m warning you I will end your f****** life you dirty little wrong’un, if you don’t answer the phone watch what happens.”

The court heard on December 22, she was at her mother’s address and was leaving the house when she noticed Barrow’s silver van speeding past.

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Ms Clark said: “She felt scared and panicked and decided to phone the police. She described shaking with fear and told the police ‘John gets very angry and I believe he would assault me even though I’m pregnant.”

The messages threatening the “massacre” followed the incident and Barrow was eventually arrested.

The court heard Barrow had previously been convicted of a domestic violence related criminal damage offence involving the victim which resulted in a restraining order, although she took him back after it expired leading to the pregnancy.

Natalie Byrne, defending, said things had deteriorated between the couple after he accused her of being unfaithful.

She said: “What she does is take the decision to end the relationship and to block him on all forms of social media, but it appears that message was not communicated to him.”

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But District Judge Wendy Lloyd interjected: “The message would have got through quite quickly.”

Ms Byrne said: “There are numerous attempts by him to get in contact and there is no reply. His anger builds up and his frustration boils over, he tells me he had no intention whatsoever of carrying out the threats in those messages.”

But Judge Lloyd pointed out that Barrow, who had been remanded in custody since his arrest, told a Probation Officer: “She has put me in here.”

She said: “You have got to realise, at the age of 35, that to say what you did to the Probation Officer, ‘that she put me in here’, you have to understand that is complete nonsense. You put yourself in here with your own behaviour which was completely and utterly unacceptable.

“This lady was pregnant and victimised in her own home, you have effectively bombarded her with those messages containing extremely unpleasant threats.”

Barrow was ordered to attend a Building Better Relationships programme with the Probation Service and ordered to pay his victim £100 compensation, as well as £85 prosecution costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

He was also banned from contacting her by a five year restraining order.